Don't let our great city down, Steve

I HAD the relatively new Birmingham City Council Assistant Director for Sport & Events, Steve Hollingsworth, on my SPORTSBAR show last Wednesday and was delighted to see how determined and passionate he is to make Birmingham a sporting Mecca

I HAD the relatively new Birmingham City Council Assistant Director for Sport & Events, Steve Hollingsworth, on my SPORTSBAR show last Wednesday and was delighted to see how determined and passionate he is to make Birmingham a sporting Mecca. Especially when you consider he’s not from Brum.

However, Big Ron used to have a saying for those footballers who were always in the press or knocking on his door telling him how good they were and that they should be in the team. “Don’t tell me, show me,” was his short but fantastic riposte that brilliantly strikes home.

There are two issues I would like Steve to get his teeth into to show me and every other citizen of this great city that he really does mean business.

1) The World Boxing Council (WBC) is looking to hold its annual five-day convention outside America in 2010.

It would involve a gala awards night, golf day, cavalcade through the city of more than 100 current and former world champions – including Muhammed Ali, Ken Norton, Joe Frazier and Roberto Duran – and a world title fight or two.

London, Scotland and Australia are already making plans to host this most prestigious event.

It would bring thousands of visitors to Birmingham and would definitely aid the city’s economy.

As I see it, it is a no-brainer and if we are serious when we say we want to be Britain’s city of sport then this is the sort of high-profile event we must bring to this, the greatest city in the world.

2) At the other end of the scale Steve must look into the situation regarding the state of our parks football pitches and facilities.

I am informed by callers to my Friday night football phone-in that there are Birmingham parks that host games but have no dressing rooms.

In addition, that the overall state of pitches and facilities are less than acceptable.

This is grass-roots football which I and many hundreds of thousands of council rates/tax payers have enjoyed playing on the parks on Sunday mornings.

The citizens of Birmingham deserve good facilities for amateur footballers.

Perhaps, if the facilities were improved, we would be able to attract more youngsters to play the game and, as a consequence, that would mean more kids with a purpose and direction. If it kept just one youngster from getting involved in anti-social behaviour then it would be worth it.

Go to it Steve.

? I HAVE never advocated booing a player during a game believing that if you do you might as well wear the opposition’s scarf.

However, I think it’s fine to vent your anger by booing after the final whistle.

Yet I don’t feel sorry for England’s Ashley Cole, who was on the end of booing after gifting Kazakhstan a goal. Now, any player can make a mistake and that should not signal a chorus of boos.

However, Cole does appear to be one of the most arrogant footballers around.

Do you remember him turning his back on a referee who was talking to him?

Do you remember in his autobiography when he complained that he had to leave Arsenal because he was “insulted” to be offered only 55 grand a week?

Most players would take it on the chin and get on with it. Then it goes away. However, the reaction from the England camp, especially Rio Ferdinand, ensures it will continue. His labelling of those England fans who booed Cole as “ignorant” was scandalous.

It’s fans who make the game what it is, who ensure that TV companies put in over a billion pounds so that Ferdinand and his team-mates can be millionaires.